In 1975 after a summer of detasseling corn (I am from Iowa) I bought the Canon Ftb with the 50mm f1.8 FD lens and a Honeywell 110 flash, it was my first SLR camera. I not only still have the camera, but I still use it.

The colour rendered by those FD lenses is just lovely.

5 minutes with a cotton swab and some iso alcohol would clean that camera up quite a bit and make it look so much nicer. The FTb is a great camera - I enjoy shooting mine.

My first SLR as well. My Father bought it for me in the early 70's. I recently had a CLA done along with conversion to 1.5v batteries. Once dropped it 3 feet onto brick steps, just a little dent but kept on going. I think it will outlive me...

Great video. They’re amazing cameras! So smooth and simple to shoot ❤

Nice review of an old camera. I used a pair of Canon AE-1s about 30-years ago and really liked them. They did require a battery though, so I kept spares in my kit. I really preferred the old SSC lenses to the new FD group. I thought they were better built and some had more character than the newer versions, the 50mm f/1.4 SSC being one of my favorites. When I got started, my mentor was a Canon shooter and had a F-1 that I really lusted after. I couldn't afford one, being a poor college student. If he's still alive, I'd bet he still has that camera. It's a shame your Minolta died. That's one of the things that makes me a little nervous about old electronic shutter bodies. I have a few of them, but prefer the mechanical cameras. I just bought a Nikon F2AS that I hope will be delivered later this week. I'm looking forward to working with it.

Nice review. I was given one a couple months ago. Unfortunately the mirror stays up at speeds below 500. The 50mm and 135mm it came with are clear and bright.

QL refers to Quick Load, of the automatic quick Film Cassette Leader spooling mechanism,

The FTbn has a plastic tipped wind advance, even more durable build, and less clunky stop down lever.

Professional quality at a bargain price. Ftb rocks!

I have the FTb-N which is a slightly newer version of this. Very solid and smooth, built like a tank. Y

an insane mechanical camera but, cloth focal plane shutter. Less durable than mechanical shutter... ? it would have been perfect with that ! like the late praktica m42 mount